The term menopause is derived from the French ménespausie which means cessation of the normal cyclical,
hormonally controlled uterine bleeding cycles. Physiologically however, missed menstrual periods are only part of the clinical
syndrome, which is more appropriately termed age-related ovarian failure. The clinical sequelae of ovarian failure is hypogonadism
which is the body’s response to depletion of the ovarian supply of eggs and consequently, the ovarian hormones estrogen, progesterone
and the androgens testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione. Although both men and women experience age related
hypogonadism, the onset is more abrupt for women due to the tight coupling of ovarian follicle development and its secretion of
estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.